Power outages can be a major headache, especially when it comes to keeping your food safe. Knowing how long food stays good in the fridge without power is crucial to preventing foodborne illnesses and minimizing waste. This guide provides expert advice on navigating food safety during and after a power outage.
The USDA advises that your refrigerator will keep food safe for approximately 4 hours during a power outage, provided the door remains closed as much as possible. The key is to minimize how often the refrigerator is opened. Discard any refrigerated perishable items like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers after this 4-hour window. After a power outage, it is essential to never taste food to determine its safety. Evaluate each item individually using the guidelines below. When in doubt, throw it out!
Refrigerated Food Safety After a Power Outage
This section breaks down different food categories and provides guidance on whether to keep or discard them based on whether they have been exposed to temperatures above 40°F (4°C) for more than 2 hours.
Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
Raw chicken in a refrigerator.
- Raw or leftover cooked meat, poultry, fish, or seafood; soy meat substitutes: Discard.
- Thawing meat or poultry: Discard.
- Salads (meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken, or egg salad): Discard.
- Gravy, stuffing, broth: Discard.
- Lunchmeats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, dried beef: Discard.
- Pizza with any topping: Discard.
- Canned hams labeled “Keep Refrigerated”: Discard.
- Canned meats and fish, opened: Discard.
- Casseroles, soups, stews: Discard.
Cheese
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/simply-recipes-cheese-board-lead-4-1528553485-90a8363d03434a2ea8f712839852023f.jpg “Assorted cheeses on a board, including hard and soft varieties”)
- Soft cheeses (blue/bleu, Roquefort, Brie, Camembert, cottage, cream, Edam, Monterey Jack, ricotta, mozzarella, Muenster, Neufchatel, queso blanco, queso fresco): Discard.
- Hard cheeses (Cheddar, Colby, Swiss, Parmesan, provolone, Romano): Keep.
- Processed cheeses: Keep.
- Shredded cheeses: Discard.
- Low-fat cheeses: Discard.
- Grated Parmesan, Romano, or combination (in can or jar): Keep.
Dairy
- Milk, cream, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, yogurt, eggnog, soy milk: Discard.
- Butter, margarine: Keep.
- Baby formula, opened: Discard.
Eggs
- Fresh shell eggs, eggs hard-cooked in shell, egg dishes, egg products: Discard.
- Custards and puddings, quiche: Discard.
Fruits
- Fresh fruits, cut: Discard.
- Fresh fruits, uncut: Keep.
- Fruit juices, opened: Keep.
- Canned fruits, opened: Keep.
- Dried fruits, raisins, candied fruits, dates: Keep.
- Sliced or shredded coconut: Discard.
Sauces, Spreads, and Jams
- Opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish: Discard (if above 50°F (10°C) for more than 8 hours).
- Peanut butter: Keep.
- Jelly, relish, taco sauce, mustard, ketchup, olives, pickles: Keep.
- Worcestershire, soy, barbecue, hoisin sauces: Keep.
- Fish sauces, oyster sauce: Discard.
- Opened vinegar-based dressings: Keep.
- Opened creamy-based dressings: Discard.
- Spaghetti sauce, opened: Discard.
Bread, Cakes, Cookies, Pasta, and Grains
- Bread, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads, tortillas: Keep.
- Refrigerator biscuits, rolls, cookie dough: Discard.
- Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes: Discard.
- Pasta salads with mayonnaise or vinaigrette: Discard.
- Fresh pasta: Discard.
- Cheesecake: Discard.
- Breakfast foods (waffles, pancakes, bagels): Keep.
Pies and Pastries
- Cream-filled pastries: Discard.
- Pies with fillings containing eggs or milk (custard, cheese-filled, or chiffon), quiche: Discard.
- Fruit pies: Keep.
Vegetables
- Fresh vegetables, cut: Discard.
- Fresh vegetables, uncut: Keep.
- Fresh mushrooms, herbs, spices: Keep.
- Greens, pre-cut, pre-washed, packaged: Discard.
- Vegetables, cooked: Discard.
- Tofu, cooked: Discard.
- Vegetable juice, opened: Discard.
- Baked potatoes: Discard.
- Commercial garlic in oil: Discard.
- Potato salad: Discard.
- Casseroles, soups, stews: Discard.
Frozen Food Safety After a Power Outage
A full freezer can maintain a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. You can safely refreeze food if it still contains ice crystals or its temperature is at or below 40°F (4°C); however, its quality may be affected. Never taste food to determine its safety. Here’s a general guide:
Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
- Meat, poultry, seafood – all types of cuts: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Stews, soups: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
Dairy
- Milk: Refreeze (some loss of texture) if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Eggs (out of shell) and egg products: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Ice cream, frozen yogurt: Discard.
- Cheese (soft and semi-soft): Refreeze (some loss of texture) if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Hard cheeses: Refreeze.
- Shredded cheeses: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Cheesecake: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
Fruits
- Juices: Refreeze. Discard if mold, a yeasty smell, or sliminess develops.
- Home or commercially packaged: Refreeze (will change texture and flavor). Discard if mold, a yeasty smell, or sliminess develops.
Vegetables
- Juices: Refreeze. Discard after being held above 40°F (4°C) for 6 hours.
- Home or commercially packaged or blanched: Refreeze (may suffer texture and flavor loss). Discard after being held above 40°F (4°C) for 6 hours.
Breads and Pastries
- Breads, rolls, muffins, cakes (without custard fillings): Refreeze.
- Cakes, pies, pastries with custard or cheese filling: Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Pie crusts, commercial and homemade bread dough: Refreeze (some quality loss may occur).
Other Foods
- Casseroles (pasta, rice-based): Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
- Flour, cornmeal, nuts: Refreeze.
- Breakfast items (waffles, pancakes, bagels): Refreeze.
- Frozen meals, entrees, specialty items (pizza, sausage and biscuit, meat pie, convenience foods): Refreeze if it contains ice crystals and feels as cold as if refrigerated; otherwise, discard.
Key Takeaways
Understanding how long food is good for in the fridge without power is vital. Remember these crucial points:
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the temperature.
- Discard perishable refrigerated foods after 4 hours without power.
- A full freezer can keep food safe for 48 hours (24 hours if half full).
- Never taste food to determine its safety.
- When in doubt, throw it out!
By following these guidelines, you can minimize food waste and protect yourself and your family from foodborne illnesses during and after a power outage.
